SWEET CREATURE//steve harrington

ELEVEN

"YOU'RE SURE THAT WAS DART?" LUCAS ASKED FOR THE THIRD TIME, MAKING DUSTIN GROAN IN IRRITATION. "Yes, he had the exact same yellow pattern on his butt," Dustin explained. They'd been walking on the tracks for at least twenty minutes now, and all they'd done was argue. "He was tiny two days ago," Max recalled, her forehead creased in confusion. "Yeah, well, he's molted three times since then," Dustin said. "Malted?" Steve asked. "Molted," Vivian clarified. "Don't you know that from all your bug stuff?" Steve rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not as sharp as I used to be, you know."

"Well, when's he gonna molt again?" Max asked, concern leaking into her voice. "It's gotta be soon," Dustin said. "And when he does, he's gonna be full grown, or close to it. And so will his friends." Steve scoffed. "Yeah, then he's gonna eat more than just cats." "Hold on," Lucas snapped, stopping in his tracks. "A cat? Dart ate a cat?" Dustin stuttered, "What? No. No!" Steve looked at Vivian, then back at Dustin. "What are you talking about? He ate Mews." Vivian sighed at his cluelessness. It must be a blissful life to live. 

"Who's Mews?" Max questioned, to which Steve answered, "It's Dustin's cat." "Steve!" Dustin yelled. "I knew it," Lucas scolded. "You kept him!" "No!" Dustin denied, but his resolve was clearly faltering. "No." Lucas didn't say a word. Vivian watched them tensely. "He missed me. He wanted to come home," Dustin conceded. "Bullshit!" Lucas cried. "I didn't know he was a Demogorgon, okay?" "So now you admit it?" Max put her hand between them. "Guys, who cares? We have to go." 

Lucas put his hand up to cut her off. "I care! You put the party in jeopardy," he said to Dustin. "You broke the rule of law!" "So did you!" Dustin countered. "You told a stranger the truth!" "A stranger?" Max scoffed. "You told Steve," Lucas pointed out. "Who told Sweets. That's two more offenses on your part." Dustin stuttered, but nothing came out. "Steve already knew half of it anyway," he muttered. "As for Sweets, I don't know what to say."

Vivian's heart broke watching the two young boys argue; there was too much at stake to be doing this. But it wasn't her place to say so. "Besides, you wanted to tell her too!" Lucas shouted. "But I didn't, did I?" Dustin countered, crossing him arms defensively. 

"Viv," Steve said softly, gesturing off the tracks to a hill overlooking the town. Vivian followed him. The mist was so thick, she could only make out lights. A screech echoed through the air, making her wince. "It's okay," Steve said. The kids were still arguing, so heatedly that they hadn't heard. "Guys," Vivian said. They didn't respond. "Guys!" They froze, looking at her with wide eyes. 

The kids slowly join Vivian and Steve, looking out onto the town, horrid yowls permeating the night. "There, the lab," Lucas said, pointing. "They were going back home." Steve breathed out sharply. "We better get going then," he said, definitive. Vivian looked at him like he'd grown another head. "Are you crazy? I almost lost you back there, I'm not letting you run into another death trap," she said. "I'm fine, Viv. I survived." "By a fluke! If they hadn't been called back here by whatever crazy monster summoned them, you'd be lunchmeat right now." Steve sighed. "We have to do something."

"Do we really just have to run in there, no plan, no help, nothing?" Vivian pleaded. "Anyone we would call for help is already in there," Steve said. "Besides, who said we didn't have a plan?" "I don't give a shit about your made-up plan!" Vivian yelled, making Dustin jump. This was all starting to be too much to handle in one night. She inhaled deeply, trying to compose herself. "Let's just go." She pushed her hair out of her face and stormed ahead. 

꧁♡꧂

Vivian was mute and fuming. Steve had already endangered his life once tonight, and now he was jumping right back in, this time dragging the rest of them with him. He got the hint that she didn't want to talk, walking beside her silently. Dustin and Lucas were scheming behind them, discussing the logistics of their makeshift plan.